


Caged bird

by scarletchidori



Series: NejiTen Month 2019 [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-03 00:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19452721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletchidori/pseuds/scarletchidori
Summary: “And I have you as well?”, he ask laying his left hand on mine, almost  absentmindedly.“Of course”, I say.“Even if I’m cursed?”“I’d rather have you, cursed or not”.





	Caged bird

**Author's Note:**

> Day two of the NejiTen month, prompt: Cursed. I started writing this yesterday and I still don't know if I like it or not but whatever I wanted to write about them since I started shipping them so many years ago. The quote that Tenten says to Neji "I'd rather have you, cursed or not" is from Supernatural.

_“When the night has come_   
_And the land is dark_   
_And the moon is the only light we’ll see_   
_No I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid_   
_Just as long as you stand, stand by me”_   
_(Stand by Me - Ben E. King)_

  
*

“What do you mean?”, I ask confused.

“What part of being cursed you don’t understand?”, he replies with bitterness in his voice.

“I know what ‘cursed’ means, Neji”, I say “But I don’t understand why you said such a thing, I don’t understand how can you be ‘cursed’. Help me understand”.

“You must promise me something, Tenten”.

“Everything you want”.

“Promise me that you will never say anything to anyone”, he whispers “Promise me that this will be a secret between us as long as I want”

  
“Of course”, I say “It’s your secret after all, I would never betray your trust”.

He takes off his forehead protector, and I can’t help being almost in shock because he never took it off, not even when he’s sleeping.

“Neji you don’t need to-”, I begin to say.

“I want to”, he whispers in a voice so low that I think he doesn’t even want to be heard.

“What is it?”, I ask “That… tattoo on your forehead?”.

“It’s not a tattoo”, he says lowering his gaze “It’s a curse placed on me by the Main Family, by my own flesh and blood”.

I don’t know what to say. I keep staring at that cursed seal, those fine lines on his forehead, how can a symbol be a curse?

“I don’t understand”.

“Is a cursed seal used by my clan, the main house, to protect Byakugan. When I die my Byakugan will be sealed away, preventing our enemies to learn how to use it”

  
“That seems rather cruel”, I say “Why only the branch houses get this? Why not everyone? If they want to protect the Byakugan, why brand only Branch Houses?”

“I would like to know”, he says without looking at me.

  
“Neji? Neji please look at me”, I say “Look at me”.

“What?”

“This… cursed seal hurts you? It causes you pain?”

“Why do you ask?”

  
“Because I care about you”, I say “And I don’t want you to be hurting”

“No, it doesn’t hurt me”, he smiles at me (a sad smile) “But it can be used to hurt me, the pain is so great that it could kill me, it destroys your brain cells”.

“This is cruel”.

“The only way to be free is dying”, he says “Just like my father”.

“Don’t say that”, I murmur laying my hand on his and for the first time he doesn’t flinch away, he allows me to touch him, to comfort him “Don’t ever say that, okay? I am sure that your father doesn’t wish death on you, I am sure that he wants you to live, to go on despite all of this”.

“You don’t understand and you cannot know”, he replies “Don’t talk about my father like you knew him”

“I’m actually aware of that. I don’t understand, I can’t understand, but the thing I do understand is that I don’t wanna lose you”

“Why?”

  
“Because we’re friends”, I confess “I didn’t know your father, but no parents wish death upon his children, no matter how freeing it can be”.

“I’m cursed”, he says “My own life doesn’t belong to me, I can’t have anything, my life is already set on stone, my fate is already decided and I can’t do anything about it”.

This is the first time he opens up in this way with me or should I say with anyone. He doesn’t talk with Lee or with our Sensei, it looks like that nobody in his clan offers him some comfort. He decided to talk to me, perhaps seeking some comfort that he thinks he doesn’t even deserve.   
  
I can’t even imagine how hard it is for Neji to live with the awareness that his life doesn’t belong to him, it’s almost like his sole purpose is to live to protect Hinata, and no one does something for him, not even his uncle. I think his uncle branded his own brother, his own flesh and blood, so I am not surprised that he doesn’t care about Neji’s feelings or pain. But Team Guy can be his family, I can be his family.

“Neji… it’s okay to feel like this. It’s okay to feel sad or mad, but don’t let those feelings obscure who you really are”.

“You know… I feel better after talking to you”

“I am glad”, I reply “You say you’re alone, that you have no one, but you’re not alone Neji”

“It’s not true”.

“You have Guy-sensei and Lee”, I whisper “You’re not alone”.

“But-”

“They can be your family, if you want to. If you allow them to be your friends, your brothers or whatever you want them to be”

“And I have you as well?”, he ask laying his left hand on mine, almost absentmindedly.

“Of course”, I say.

“Even if I’m cursed?”

“I’d rather have you, cursed or not”.

For just a second his eyes shows some kind of emotion, perhaps affection towards me, but it disappears before I can figure out what kind of emotions he was feeling

“Thank you”.

I lay towards him and I give him a kiss on the forehead. A kiss that would not ease his pain, will not make him forget that his life isn’t his and it wouldn’t erase all the things he had seen or endured, but perhaps it can lift even if slightly that burden that he carries on his shoulders. How much pain and suffering? How much his father suffered knowing that he would leave his son alone facing whatever his future will be? But he’s not alone, I wish I could say to his father, I will stand by his side until the very end.

When I move slightly away from him I look into his eyes, fearing to have made some huge mistake, but he’s smiling at me. A little smile, almost imperceptible.

“Ten?”  
  
“Yes?”

“Thank you”, he murmurs “Thank you for accepting me for who I am”  
  
Before I can say 'You're welcome' his lips are on mine for a few second before the feeling disappears.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have kissed you", he says "But I just -- I don't know I just wanted to..."

"Don't worry. You don't need to apologize".

"Are you sure?"

I nod with a smile "Very sure".

"Can I stay like this?", he ask pointing at his forehead "If this bothers you I can--"

"Of course you can", I answer "You don't need to hide yourself from me, not anymore".

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware of the fact that perhaps Neji is a little ooc but after all they never showed us how Neji and Tenten behaved towards each other before meeting them in their first episode. I guess I though that Neji's bitterness grew slowly until it reached his lowest point, which for me took place during the exams. I just like to think that even if in his own way he was kinder towards Tenten. And simply didn't know how to handle someone "free" like Tenten, that only ever saw him as her teammate "Neji" and not a prodigy or a "caged bird". I will stop talking now, I am sorry.  
> I hope you like it and if you see some mistakes etc please let me know.


End file.
